Automatic railway signaling device



Aug. 10 1926.

w. P. P owLER AUTOMATIC RAILWAYA SIGNALING DEVICE Filed Sept. 8, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 atto: we#

Aug. 10 1926 1,595,460

w. P. FowLER AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SIGNALING DEVICE Filed sept. a. 1925 2 sheets-sheet 2 gnuwvtoz,

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Patented Aug. 10, 1926.

WILLARD P. FOWIER, OF METROPOLIS, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SIGNALING DEVICE.

Application ledrSeptember 8, 1925. Serial No. 55,107.

This invention relates to signaling sysA tems, and especially to an improved auto-y matic railway crossing signal.

One object of this invention is to provide a railway crossing signal which automatically operates to announce the approach of a car or train on a railway track, to retain one or more signaling elements in the signaling position until the car or train has `entirely passed the Crossing and the signaling element, then automatically moves 'the signaling element into a position for indicating the fact that the train has passed, or out of the above mentioned signaling position.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved mechanically operated and electrically controlled device for operating a railway gate or other signaling element so as to move such signaling element from a. vertcial position to a horizontal poition, and vice versa, such electro-mechanical device being entirely automatic; that is, entirely dependent uponthe approach' and starting and stopping and reversing the mechanical elements which operate the signaling element.

Another object ofthe invention is to provide a device of this character having all its parts united, except the railway and its electrical connections, or consisting` of a unitary combination which is capable of being carried bodily, thereby avoiding the necessity of building the device at the place it is to be installed at a railway crossing.

Another object is to provide a device of this character which consists of comparatively few and very strong and durable parts, thus providing the maximum service and efficiency at a comparativelylow cost of installing and maintaining the device.

Other objects and important features are pointed out or implied in the following details of description, in connection with the accompanying drawings in which: y

Fig. 1 is a view mainly in sideelevation, but partly in vertical section, and partly diagrammatic, certain parts being broken away for showing other parts, and for lack of sufficient space to show some of the parts in their entirety Fig. 2 is a top plan view of one end of the main actuating bar; and, 1

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view of the electrical syst-em which operates and controls the mechanism for raising and lowering the pole, paddle or gate which constitutes the signaling element above referred to.

It is generally and wellvknown that a paddle or pole which is extended across a wagon-road (this term to distinguish from a railroad) is intended more particularly to warn the drivers of wagons :and other vehicles, aswell aspedestrians and equestrians, rather than actually making it impossible forthem tocross the railroad, pedestrians often cross in spite of a warning given by the signal. Therefore, the bar or paddle here operated as a gate is, in its broadest sense, a signaling element, and'will hereafter be referred to as suc-h. This gate or signaling element isy here referred to or designated by the numeral 5, and a suiiicient'portion of it is here shown to make clear its operation. It is shown in full lilies in its hori- `zontal position, and in broken lines in its vertical position.l Itis clamped or otherwise secured on a stud or stub 'shaft 6 which is journaled in an upright frame element 7, the latter being secured on a base 8, ,which latter alsosupports other upright frame 'elements'which will presently be described. A shaft 9 is also journaled in the upright frame element 7, and this shaft carries a. gear wheel 10 which meshes with a gear wheel 11 on the stub shaft 6. The shaft 9 also carries a segmental gear 12 which meshes with a worm 13. This worm is secured on a shaft let which is journaled in suitable bearings on the upright 7 and on a somewhat similar upright 7 a. Beveled gear wheels 15 and 16 are formed Yintegrally with or united with annular clutch elements 15a and 16a'. Each of these gear wheels is rotatable with4 its vcontiguous clutch element around the shaft 1d,

being liournaled on the latter. A pair of clutch levers 17 is provided for each of the clutch elements 15a and 16a, each of these clutch levers 17 being provided witha friction-element 18 and with an adjusting screw 19. A sleeve 2O is featherkeyed or otherwise secured against rotation onA the shaft 14;, and has inclined ends on which the adjusting screws 19 slide for swinging the lever 17 of each pair so as to bring the friction-elements 18 into frictional lengagement with the clutch-element 15 or 16a. The middle part of the member 2O is provided with an annular groove 21 in which a stud 22 extends from a'lever 23 which is pivoted on an upright 24 and has a slot- QSR in its upper end. Y

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A beveled gear wheel 25 is mounted on a. shaft 26 and is continually in mesh with the beveled gear wheels 15 and 16. A woringear-whee 27 i'C also secured on the shaft 26 and serves as a driving wheel for the gearwheel 25. This wheel is driven by a worm 23 which has its shaft 29 journaled in suitable bearings on the base 3. rlhe shaft- 29 is driven by an electric motor 3() which may be of any appropriate kind or type..

A main actuating' bar 31 is provided with a slot 31, and a doubleheaded pin or bolt 32 extends through the slots 231L and 31a so as to operatively connect the lever 23 with the bar 31 for a purpose which will hereafter be explained. A link is pivotally connected to the bar 31 and to a supporting element 7b which is secured on the upright 7 a. A link 34 is also pivotally connected to the bar 31, preferably by the saine pivot 31b which connects the link 33 to the bar 31. A contractile spring 35 has its upper end secured to the link 34, and has its lower end secured to an element 36 on the base 3. This spring holds the bar 31 alternately in the broken line positions 31A and 31B, and also forces this bar to either of said broken line positions when it has passed slightly beyond its neutral position which is shown in fuli lines; that is, when the link has passed slightly beyond its vertical position, or carried its pivot 31b beyond the plane which is common to the fixed pivot of the link 33 and the fixed connection of the spring 35. The bar 31 rests upon the upper end 7 C of the upright 7a when said bar is in either of its positions 31A and 31B. lt will be seen that when the bar 31 moves rightward to the position 31A, it swings the lever 23 for rendering the clutch levers 17 effective for securing the gear wheel 16 against rotation on the shaft 26; that is, it loc rs the 'gear wheel 16 to the shaft 14 so that when the gear wheels 25 and 27 move in the direction of their respective arrows, they turn the shaft 14 in the direction of the curved arrow shown thereon. This turns the worm 13 in the direction for turning the segmental gear 12 in the direction of its arrow. An arm 37 is either clamped on a hub of the gear segment 12, or secured to the shaft 9 by any appropriate means, and this arm is connected by a link 33 to a lever 39 which is pivoted at 40 to a bearing secured on an insulated platform 41, the latter being supported by the upright frame element 7. rllhe lower end of the lever 39 is pivotally connected to a link 42, and the latter is piv'otally connected to a lever 43 which is pivotally mounted at 44 on the base 3. The letter a and the adjacent broken line indicate the plane of the pivots of the lever 43 when near its extreme leftward position of Figure 1. and the letter A indicates the plane of such pivots near the extreme rightward position of the lever 43. Similarly the broken line at indicates the plane coinciding with the center Iof the spring 35 and link 34 when they are near their leftward position, and the broken line B indi- Cates the plane coinciding with the centers of the elements 34 and 35 when near their extreme rightward position.

A single pole double throw switch 45 is pivot-ally mounted at 46 on the insulated platform 41, and this switch includes two contacts 47 and 43. rlhis switch will hereinafter be referred to as the S. l). D. T. switch. lts upper endis provided 'with a slot 45a through which a stud 49 extends from an arm 50 which is pivotally connected at 51 on the bar 31. rllhe upper end of the lever 43 is in the path of two spaced abutments 52 and 53 of the bar 31, so that such abutinents are engaged by the lever 43 for moving the bar 31 from the positions 31A and 31B to the full line position or slightly past the full line position shown in Figure 1; and when the bar 31 has moved slightly past its full line position, in either direction, the link 34 and spring 35 cooperate in completing the movement of the bar 31 to one or the other of its broken line positions. It will be understood that the lever 43 is moved by the previously described gearing and the system `of arms, links and levers 37 to 42 inclusive, and that the space between the abutments 52 permits the bar 31 to complete its movement to the 31B position, for instance, while the lever 43 remains near its a position.

lt will be understood, from the foregoing, that the S. P. D. T. switch is also operated by the bar 31, this being accomplished through the medium of the arm or link 50 and its stud 49; and now, it may be well to review the structure thus far described and to explain a cycle of its operation as foilows: Assuming that'the signaling element has been moved from its upright or broken line position to its horizontal or full line position by the gearing mechanism previously described, the clutch levers 17 (at the right) being in the effective position shown, so that all parts having arrows thereon are moving in the direction indicated by said arrows, and have so moved until the link 3 has its pivot in the same plane with the spring 35, the connecting stud 32 having just engaged with the right hand end of the slot 31, and the stud 49 having just engaged with the left-hand end of the slot 45n in the S. P. D. T. switch, the latter being closed with the contact 43 and being yopen with respect to the contact 47: N ow, when the continues its movement slightly, for bringing the .arm or paddie 5 to the end of its downward movement, such movement of the gearing and system of levers and links moves the bar 31 leftwardslightly beyond the full line position,

so that the spring 35 and link 34 now quick# ly shift the bar 31 to the position 31B, and in doing this, the S. P. D. T. switch 'is opened at 48 and closed at 47. In the operation of thus shifting the S. P. D. T. switch, it is momentarily open at both 47 and 48, which breaks the circuit for a purpose which will presently be explained. Another func-r the `gear. wheel 25 continues or resumes its movem-ent in the direction of its arrow, the shaft 14 will be turned in the direction opposite to that which is indicated by its arrow, and accordingly, the parts 37 to 42 in* clusive, will move in the direction opposite to that indicated by their respectivearrows. Such movement of these parts 37 to 42, inclusive, swings the lever 43 rightward, and the same, now being against the abutment 53, moves the bar 31 rightward until it reaches the full line positionl here shown. However, it is to be remembered that the S. P. D. T. switch is now in its broken line position, and the lever 23 is in its leftward position, its stud 32 being in the left end of the slot 31a; land now, when the bar 31 has brought its stud or pivot 31b slightly to the right of the position here shown, the

spring 35 and its link 34 now bring the stud 31b into the plane indicated by the broken line B. During this reverse movement of the gearing and combination of links, levers, etc., the paddle or signal element 5 has moved to and slightly beyond the broken line position thereof.

Now, referring to Fig. 3, in which the motor 30 and the S. P. D. T. switch 45-47-48 are the only elements described in the foregoing, T will explain the electrical system which controls the motor .30 and is controlled by the S. P. D. T. switch, as follows:

At 60 is indicated an electric generator, and it is understood that any form of generator may be employed in connection with the power circuit indicated at 61. In practice, such power circuit may consist of telegraph wires which are usually adjacent to railroad tracks. A railroad track is indicated at 62, 63 and 64, each of these reference characters indicating a section of track which is separate from the other sections, that is, the track sections 62 and 64, al-

though electricallyV connected to one another, are not electrically connected to the track section 63 nor to the distant parts of the railroad; but these sections are alined and in close relation to one another so that a car or train can pass from each section to the other section as if these track sections were integrally united. The track sections 62 and 64 are electrically connected by conducting wires 65 and 66. Conducting wires 67 and 68 are connected to the respective rails of the section 62, and a battery 69 is included in the conductor 68. A relay 70 has its terminals connected to the conductors 67 and 68, and this relay has apivotsection 63. The arm 71 is connected to the l switch contact 48 through the medium of a conducting wire 74 which terminates in a contact 75 on said arm. On a supporting extension of the relay 70 are two contacts 76 and 77 in position for closing the circuit with the contacts 75 and 73 respectively.

A r-elay7 8 is connected by a conductor 79 to the opposite rail of the section 63, that is, to the rail opposite that to which the conductor 72 connects. This conductor 79 has an extension 79 which terminates in a contact 80 on an extension of the relay 78. The other terminal ofthe relay 78 is connected to the same rail to which the conductor 72 is connected, a conductor 81 being i the medium through which this rail is connected to the relay 78. The conductor 81 includes a battery 82.

An arm 83 is pivoted on the relay 78 and carries a contact 84 on one side, and a contact 85 on its opposite side. An extension of the relay 78 carries a contact 86 in posi tion to close circuit with the Contact 85. A conductor 87 connects the contacts 76 and 86 to `one another. conductor 88 connects the contacts 77 and 84 to one another. A conductor 89 connects the contact 85 with vone of the conductors of the power circuit 61, and this conductor is also electrically connected to a conducting Velement 90 on which is pivoted a conducting arm 91 which has thereon a contact 92. A contact 93 and a conducting wire 94 connect with the contact 47 of the S. P.. D. T. switch. A breaking relay 95 has one of its terminals connected by a conductor 96 to the contact 48 of the S. P. D. T. switch, through the medium of the conductor 74 or through other proper means. The other terminal of the relay 95 is connected, `by a conductor 97, to one of the power conductors 61, that is, to the one opposite to that which connects to the conductor 89. A conductor 98 connects one terminal of the motor 30 to the conductor 97. A conductor 99 connects the other terminal of the motor to the movable part 45 or the S. P. D. T. switch.

rEhe above described electric system includes live electric circuits, all of which are cri-operative, and some of w iich include elements of vother of tl ese circuits: ln the lirst place, there are two interdependent motorcircuits or power-circuits; the iirst including the generator 60, and conduct-ing element-S ci, es, e5, 8175,75, 7i, is, i5, 9s, so, 9S and the part ot 9'? that connects to one of the conductors l; the second including con-- ducting elements Nos. 60, (Si, a part 01*89, son, 90, 9i, e2, sa, ai, it, i5, as, 3o, 9s, and the part of 97 that connects to one of the conductors 6l. The third circuit may properly be termed the primary track-circuit or automatic closer for the motor-circuits, and it includes the rack-sections G2 and Gel, their bonding conductors 65 and 66, the other conducting` elements indicated at 67 to 70, inclusive, and the wheels and or train on either of these t The fourth circuit is iior cur" motor or breaking; the motor-circuit when the motor has moved the signal eleinent 5 to its lowered or signaling position; it includes a shunt connected to the conductors 74E and 97, and this shunt includes the 95 and the conductor 96. The iiith circuit may be termed the holdingl circuit, for it holds the mot-or circuit open :it the circuit-breaking connection 85 while it is held closed at the circuit-breakingl connection 75--76 during the time the car or train is lon either track-section 6:2, or 6e. In this connection, it should be understood that the rails or these track-sections are bonded for a traction 01"' a mile from the section 68 and signaling element K, and that beyond such fraction ot a mile, these bonded sect-ions terminate, and the continuation o'i the railroad is not electrically connectel to these sections` lWhen the machine is not in operation, and e m or member 5 is up, or when such arm on its way down to the signaling posi on, the l). l). T. switch-element i5 is in osed relation with the contact 4&8 which be termed the lowering contact; but :en tie member 5 is at its lowest or signaling' position, or rising' therefrom, the elenic-nt 4.5 is closet "'i" may be termed the raising contact.

ll`he` operation oi this electrical system is as follows:

Assuming' that the signaling` up, and that track-circuit completed by wheels and axles lOl of a car r train, this starts a current through the battery G9, thereby energizing' the relay 79, thus nio\`. the contacts T3 and T5 into closed relation with contacts 77 and T6 (respectively). This closes one of the breaks in the. holding circuit and fully closes the Inomembe 5 is is closed or with 'the conta-ct i7 which tor-circuit first-described in the foregoing; so the motor now starts to lower the. signaleleinent 5, and continuesiuntil the signal-element is l wered and the switch-element is shifted into closed relatioiiwith the contact as previously described. The current I" ie generator can not now go the. secon d-described circuit, because e d onen, at 92-93, by the breaking relay 95, so the motor 30 stops, and the signaling element 5 remains down until the motor again starts. New, remembering that the switch-clement Ll5 has shifted to the raising cont-act fi?, and assuminrfg` that the wheels and axles lOl have now passed from the section tothe sections 63 and 64%, it will be 'seen that the relay 70 remains energized while the relay i8 becomes energized in consequence or the completion of the circuit through the battery S2; so the relay TIS now causes its arm S3 to break contact at 855-86.

. so that the current is cut oit from the break im; relay and tl e spring 100 causes the l to close the second-described circuit 'the nic-tor 30, and the motor now beto operate and continues until the mber 4:5 is shifted from the raising a! t 1li 'to the lowering contact 48. Now, nrevent the first-described motor-circuit clo ing circuit is'opened by the car or 'ing from the section 62 or 64,

the battery 69 ceases to energizeA O, so both the motor-circuit and the relay holding `lircuit are now opened at i5- 76 and TSM/17, and the motor remains out ot circuit with the generator until the track-cin cuit becomes again closed by an approaching car or train on either track-section 62 or 68.

lt is not intended to limitl my patent-protection to the exact details o'if construction and arrangement here shown, 'for the'invention includes numerous equivalent forms, substantially as claimed.

ill hat claim as mj invention is z i. ln a railway signaling system; the combination oi? a signaling' member; a reversible gearing operable. to move the sigi alingmember to and from its signaling position; gearniechanism to drive said reversible geuring'; two interdependent electric currents h 'ingr a normally open part and including` a motor for driving` said rearing mechanism, a double throw switch i'nich vincludes two contacts and a movable element, the latter being electrically connected to one terminal of thel motor and alternately connectable with said contacts, electric conductors electrically CII connected to the other terminal ot said motor, an electric generator to which said terminals ot' the motor are electrically connected, means to shift said switch tor breaking with one'o'f its conta-cts and closing with its other contact, circuit-breaking means automatically operable to break the circuit through the motor upon thus shitting said switch; and van incomplete closing circuit including a circuit-closing relay, two railway rails, a battery, and conductors connecting said relay and battery and railway rails in series, this closing circuit being adapted to be completed by a conducting axle and wheels on said railway rails and thus made eiiective tor closing said normally open part oi' the said interdependent circuit.

2. In a railway signaling system; the combination of a signaling member; a reversible gearing operable to move the signaling member to and from its signaling position, gearing mechanism to drive said reversible gearing; and a system of electric conductors including the following; viz, a non-reversing electric motor operable to drive said gearing mechanism in only one direction, a generator electrically connected to said motor for driving the latter, two interdependent electric circuits connected in parallel with the electric connections between the generator and motor and including a normally open circuit breaking part, a double-throw switch operable by said gearing mechanism for closing said normally open part and breaking the circuit at another part, a shunt including a relay Jfor breaking the circuit at another part when said double throw switch closes said normally open part, said interdependent circuits including asecond normally open circuit-breaking part; a railway-section, means operable by rolling stock on the railway-section for closing said second normally open part of the interdependent circuits, this last said part being elfective, when closed, for completing the circuit through said shunt and thereby energizing its relay, said interdependent circuit including a normally closed circuit-breaking part, and an incomplete electric circuit including a relay andA adapted to be completed by said rolling stock and to actuate its relay for breaking said normally closed part; for the purposes specified.

3. An electric system including a motor,`

and means for starting and stopping the motor, as follows: viz; electric current sup- -plying conductors connected to the terminals of the motor; two interdependent electric circuits connected in parallel with the said terminals and including three normally closed circuit-breaking parts and two normally open circuit-breakingl parts and also including a relay for opening one ot these normally closed parts; mechanical means operable by said motor tor closing one ot said manually open parts and opening the second one ot' said normally closed parts; a railroad; means operable by rolling stock on the railroad :tor closing the second one ot said normally open parts, and means operable by said rolling stock for opening the third one oi said normally Aclosed parts, the electric connections ot said secondnormally open part and said relayl being effective to energize the latter upon closing ot said second normally open part.'

et. A signaling mechanism including a signaling element, a. supporting trame on which said signaling element is journaled, a spur gear on the `journal ot said signaling element, a second spur-gear oilarger diameter than the first said spur-gear and meshing with the latter, an axle journaled in said frame and carrying the second said spur-gear, a worm-gear on said axle, a second axle journaled in said frame and carrying a worm in mesh with said worm-gear, two beveled gear wheels journaled on saidk second axle, a clutch-mechanism on said second axle and operable to secure said beveled gear wheel alternately to Vsaid axle for rotation with the latter, a. third axle journaled in said frame, a beveled gear wheel on said third axle and meshing with said two beveled (gears, a worm wheel on said third 'axle and rotatable with the beveled gear on the latter, a wormv in mesh with the second said worm gear and provided with means to rotate it, and means connected with the first said axle Jfor actuating said clutch, substantially as described,

for the purpose specied.

5. The structure defined by claim 4, the

means for rotating the second said worm being electrically operated, and an electric system including a circuit breaking means on said trame and being effective for stopping and starting the electrically operated worm-actuating means, and means operable yby the clutch-actuating means for controlling said circuit-breaking means.

6. In a signaling mechanism, the combination ot a frame, a signaling element journaled in said trame, a train ot gearing operable vto turn said signaling element on its journal, an axle journaled in said trame and Ycarrying one ot the gears o-t said train,

beveled gears journaled on said axle, a clutch mechanism on said axle and operable to secure the beveled gears alternately to said axle, a second train of gears including a beveled gear meshing with the lirst saidY bar, a contractile spring connected to seid traine and connected to said clutch-controlling bar adjacent to its connection with said link, the letter being normally in an inclined position, and ineens operable by the iirst seid train of gearing for moving said clutchcontrolling ber longitudinally and tliereby moving said link into e Vertical position end slightly beyond said vertical position, said spring being effective to continue Such niove nient of the clutch-controlling bar and its link for quickly shifting the clutch-element to which seid clutch-controlling ber is operatively connected.

7. The structure deined by claim 6, said driving ineens beine' electrically operated and constitutingen element of en electric system which also includes a1 circuit-breaking device for stopping the electrically operated driving Ineens, and ineens operable by seid clutch-controlling bar for controlling said circuit-breaking device.

In testimony whereof l affix my signa-ture.

TWLLARD P. FOVVLER. 

